Is that why I’m being such a bitch to both of them? Because things suddenly got difficult in a way I can’t process?
“Why didn’t you just have him ride in with you?” I ask.
He slowly nods. “Because you were right that I need to be careful. I told him it’d be good to shake up the routine a little.”
“You beat the shit out of him.” I wasn’t expecting to dive into this right now, but here we go.
He frowns. “When?”
“Last…no, I mean the week before. I saw it when he came over that Sunday morning. How could youdothat to him?”
“You beat him.”
“I’ve never made him look like he lost ten rounds with a goddamned two-by-four, either. It scares me that you’ll go that far with him and he won’t fucking stop you. That, the breath play, fucking around in the office. I can’t be a twenty-four-seven common sense guardrail for the two of you. And what thefuck, you promised him not to let him go to bed horny, and yet you locked him up?”
“Now I’m confused. You used to do that to him all the time.”
“But I never broke a promise to him, George.”
Stalemate.
I turn to go.
“Case.”
I pause, my hand on the doorknob. “What?”
“I love you, and I miss you. Heneedsyou. And I can’t do this without you.”
“Oh, I think you’re proving yourself wrong on number four, George. The two of you are obviously doing just fine without me. And I think you’ve proven that he doesn’t need me anymore.”
I leave his door standing open and head for my office, closing and locking the door behind me.
So much for me getting caught up in peace and quiet.
